Former Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, has dismissed the long-running claim that a snake swallowed money at the examination body. He said the incident never happened. According to him, it was simply a fabricated story that later gained nationwide attention.
Oloyede explains controversy
Speaking during an interview on ARISE News, Oloyede said the controversial incident happened before he became JAMB registrar. He explained that his role was only to handle the matter after assuming office.
The controversy began in 2018 after a sales clerk at JAMB’s Makurdi office in Benue State claimed that a mysterious snake swallowed ₦36 million realised from the sale of scratch cards. The explanation reportedly surfaced during an internal audit into missing funds. It quickly sparked public outrage, disbelief and widespread mockery across the country.
‘I insisted on recording the account’
Oloyede said he found the allegation unbelievable from the beginning. He explained that he directed officials to record the woman’s account because he believed the claim would later require proper documentation.
“The snake matter did not occur when I was there. It was just that I had the fortune or misfortune that I had to address it. The matter had occurred before I assumed office.”
He said the recording later became useful after the issue attracted national attention.
“I insisted that we must record it because it was unbelievable. When the matter became a national issue, the tape was there. Even myself, I would have disbelieved myself if we did not have the recording of the narration of what happened.”
‘There was no snake’
The former JAMB registrar maintained that no snake ever swallowed money because no snake existed. He said many Nigerians misunderstood the story and accepted it as fact.
“There was no snake. Some people will say snakes were swallowing naira in JAMB, but they know that was just a creation of a mind. Many people took it literally and believed snakes swallowed money. The reality was that that never happened.”
Oloyede mentions examination fraud
Oloyede also spoke about the widely publicised Mmesoma examination fraud case during the interview. He said the incident was not unique, adding that JAMB has handled several similar examination malpractice cases over the years.
Read also: JAMB begins leadership transition as Oloyede hands over to Aina
